.env.example

@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ AGENT_COMMAND_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=180
 AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=1200
 AGENT_STEP_LIMIT=50
 AGENT_COST_LIMIT=5
+MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS=3
 
 SETUP_COMMANDS=composer install --no-interaction --prefer-dist;;npm ci
 TEST_COMMANDS=npm run build;;php artisan test

README.md

@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ Set `LOG_LEVEL=DEBUG` to include redacted output from setup and test commands. A
 log their model, configured limits, call count, cost, exit status, and trajectory path. `INFO` is
 the default for normal operation.
 
+`MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS` controls validation-driven self-repair. When an agent submission fails policy,
+diff, or test validation, the worker preserves the workspace and gives the redacted failure output
+to a fresh agent attempt. Only the final failed attempt marks the issue as `ai:failed` and removes
+the workspace.
+
 ## Archived implementation
 
 The previous database-polling Aider implementation is preserved unchanged in `old_2026-08-31/`.

docker-compose.yml

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ services:
       AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS: ${AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS:-1200}
       AGENT_STEP_LIMIT: ${AGENT_STEP_LIMIT:-50}
       AGENT_COST_LIMIT: ${AGENT_COST_LIMIT:-5}
+      MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS: ${MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS:-3}
       LOG_LEVEL: ${LOG_LEVEL:-INFO}
       AGENT_USER: coder
       MISTRAL_API_KEY: ${MISTRAL_API_KEY:-}

src/lai_automation/agent.py

@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class MiniSWEAgentRunner:
 		issue: Issue,
 		workspace: Path,
 		trajectory_path: Path,
+		validation_feedback: str = "",
 	) -> AgentResult:
 		logger.info(
 			"Starting agent for issue #%s: model=%s step_limit=%s cost_limit=%.2f "
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ class MiniSWEAgentRunner:
 			max_consecutive_format_errors=3,
 			output_path=trajectory_path,
 		)
-		info = agent.run(self._task(issue))
+		info = agent.run(self._task(issue, validation_feedback))
 		result = AgentResult(
 			exit_status=str(info.get("exit_status") or "unknown"),
 			submission=str(info.get("submission") or ""),
@@ -149,12 +150,22 @@ class MiniSWEAgentRunner:
 		return result
 
 	@staticmethod
-	def _task(issue: Issue) -> str:
-		return "\n".join(
+	def _task(issue: Issue, validation_feedback: str = "") -> str:
+		parts = [
+			f"Issue #{issue.number}: {issue.title}",
+			f"URL: {issue.html_url}",
+			"",
+			issue.body[:20_000],
+		]
+		if validation_feedback:
+			parts.extend(
 			[
-				f"Issue #{issue.number}: {issue.title}",
-				f"URL: {issue.html_url}",
 				"",
-				issue.body[:20_000],
+				"The previous attempt failed deterministic validation. Keep the existing",
+				"workspace changes, diagnose and repair this exact failure, then rerun the",
+				"smallest relevant check and submit again:",
+				"",
+				validation_feedback[:8_000],
 			]
 		)
+		return "\n".join(parts)

src/lai_automation/config.py

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ class Settings:
     agent_wall_time_seconds: int
     agent_step_limit: int
     agent_cost_limit: float
+    max_agent_attempts: int
     agent_user: str
     setup_commands: tuple[str, ...]
     test_commands: tuple[str, ...]
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ class Settings:
             agent_wall_time_seconds=int(os.getenv("AGENT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS", "1200")),
             agent_step_limit=int(os.getenv("AGENT_STEP_LIMIT", "50")),
             agent_cost_limit=float(os.getenv("AGENT_COST_LIMIT", "5")),
+            max_agent_attempts=int(os.getenv("MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS", "3")),
             agent_user=os.getenv("AGENT_USER", "coder"),
             setup_commands=_commands(
                 os.getenv(
@@ -156,6 +158,8 @@ class Settings:
             raise ValueError("AGENT_STEP_LIMIT must be between 1 and 200")
         if self.agent_cost_limit < 0:
             raise ValueError("AGENT_COST_LIMIT cannot be negative")
+        if not 1 <= self.max_agent_attempts <= 10:
+            raise ValueError("MAX_AGENT_ATTEMPTS must be between 1 and 10")
         if not 1 <= self.max_changed_files <= 100:
             raise ValueError("MAX_CHANGED_FILES must be between 1 and 100")
         if not 1 <= self.max_changed_lines <= 10_000:

src/lai_automation/worker.py

@@ -87,41 +87,54 @@ class Worker:
                     extra_environment=self.settings.test_environment,
                 )
 
-            timestamp = datetime.now(UTC).strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ")
-            trajectory = (
-                self.settings.workspace_root
-                / "trajectories"
-                / f"issue-{issue.number}-{timestamp}.traj.json"
-            )
-            started_at = time.monotonic()
-            result = self.agent.run(current_issue, workspace.path, trajectory)
-            elapsed = time.monotonic() - started_at
-            if result.exit_status != "Submitted":
-                details = self._agent_failure_details(result, elapsed, trajectory)
-                raise RuntimeError(
-                    f"Agent stopped with status {result.exit_status}: {details}"
+            validation_feedback = ""
+            result = None
+            summary = None
+            for attempt in range(1, self.settings.max_agent_attempts + 1):
+                timestamp = datetime.now(UTC).strftime("%Y%m%dT%H%M%S%fZ")
+                trajectory = (
+                    self.settings.workspace_root
+                    / "trajectories"
+                    / f"issue-{issue.number}-attempt-{attempt}-{timestamp}.traj.json"
                 )
-
-            summary = workspace.summary()
-            normalized = workspace.normalize_changed_whitespace(summary)
-            if normalized:
                 logger.info(
-                    "Normalized trailing whitespace in %s changed file(s) for issue #%s",
-                    len(normalized),
+                    "Starting attempt %s/%s for issue #%s",
+                    attempt,
+                    self.settings.max_agent_attempts,
                     issue.number,
                 )
-                summary = workspace.summary()
-            validate_changes(workspace, summary, self.settings)
-            workspace.check_diff(summary)
-            for command in self.settings.test_commands:
-                workspace.run_trusted(
-                    command,
-                    extra_environment=self.settings.test_environment,
+                started_at = time.monotonic()
+                result = self.agent.run(
+                    current_issue,
+                    workspace.path,
+                    trajectory,
+                    validation_feedback,
                 )
+                elapsed = time.monotonic() - started_at
+                try:
+                    if result.exit_status != "Submitted":
+                        details = self._agent_failure_details(result, elapsed, trajectory)
+                        raise RuntimeError(
+                            f"Agent stopped with status {result.exit_status}: {details}"
+                        )
+                    summary = self._validate_agent_changes(workspace, issue.number)
+                    break
+                except Exception as validation_error:
+                    if attempt >= self.settings.max_agent_attempts:
+                        raise
+                    validation_feedback = redact(str(validation_error), 8_000)
+                    logger.warning(
+                        "Attempt %s/%s for issue #%s failed validation; preserving "
+                        "workspace for repair attempt %s: %s",
+                        attempt,
+                        self.settings.max_agent_attempts,
+                        issue.number,
+                        attempt + 1,
+                        validation_feedback,
+                    )
 
-            summary = workspace.summary()
-            validate_changes(workspace, summary, self.settings)
-            workspace.check_diff(summary)
+            if result is None or summary is None:
+                raise RuntimeError("Agent attempts ended without a validated change")
 
             commit = workspace.commit()
             workspace.push()
@@ -182,6 +195,29 @@ class Worker:
         finally:
             workspace.cleanup()
 
+    def _validate_agent_changes(self, workspace: GitWorkspace, issue_number: int):
+        summary = workspace.summary()
+        normalized = workspace.normalize_changed_whitespace(summary)
+        if normalized:
+            logger.info(
+                "Normalized trailing whitespace in %s changed file(s) for issue #%s",
+                len(normalized),
+                issue_number,
+            )
+            summary = workspace.summary()
+        validate_changes(workspace, summary, self.settings)
+        workspace.check_diff(summary)
+        for command in self.settings.test_commands:
+            workspace.run_trusted(
+                command,
+                extra_environment=self.settings.test_environment,
+            )
+
+        summary = workspace.summary()
+        validate_changes(workspace, summary, self.settings)
+        workspace.check_diff(summary)
+        return summary
+
     def _agent_failure_details(
         self,
         result,

tests/conftest.py

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def settings(tmp_path: Path) -> Settings:
         agent_wall_time_seconds=1200,
         agent_step_limit=40,
         agent_cost_limit=5.0,
+        max_agent_attempts=1,
         agent_user="coder",
         setup_commands=("composer install",),
         test_commands=("php artisan test",),

tests/test_agent.py

@@ -20,6 +20,21 @@ def test_task_uses_issue_text_not_github_parser() -> None:
     assert issue.body in task
 
 
+def test_task_includes_validation_feedback_for_repair_attempt() -> None:
+    issue = Issue(
+        number=43,
+        title="Broken query",
+        body="Original report",
+        html_url="https://gitea.example.test/owner/lai/issues/43",
+        labels=(),
+    )
+
+    task = MiniSWEAgentRunner._task(issue, "PHP parse error on line 3")
+
+    assert "previous attempt failed deterministic validation" in task
+    assert "PHP parse error on line 3" in task
+
+
 def test_system_prompt_requires_precise_diff_hygiene() -> None:
     assert "Never create backup files" in _SYSTEM_TEMPLATE
     assert "failure-report transport code" in _SYSTEM_TEMPLATE

tests/test_config.py

@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def test_settings_load_issue_workflow_defaults(
     assert settings.queued_label == "ai:queued"
     assert settings.running_label == "ai:running"
     assert settings.agent_model == "mistral/devstral-latest"
+    assert settings.max_agent_attempts == 3
     assert settings.test_commands == ("npm run build", "php artisan test")
     assert settings.test_environment["DB_DATABASE"] == "lai_agent_test"
     assert settings.test_environment["ERP_DATABASE"] == "customer_agent_test"

tests/test_worker.py

@@ -175,6 +175,50 @@ def test_agent_failure_details_identify_step_limit(settings) -> None:
     assert "issue-43.traj.json" in details
 
 
+@patch("lai_automation.worker.GitWorkspace")
+def test_failed_validation_is_given_to_repair_attempt(
+    GitWorkspace,
+    settings,
+) -> None:
+    settings = settings.__class__(
+        **{**settings.__dict__, "max_agent_attempts": 2}
+    )
+    issue = queued_issue()
+    running = Issue(**{**issue.__dict__, "labels": (Label(2, "ai:running"),)})
+    gitea = Mock()
+    gitea.get_issue.return_value = issue
+    gitea.set_automation_state.side_effect = [running, running]
+    gitea.create_pull_request.return_value = PullRequest(
+        18,
+        "https://gitea.example.test/owner/lai/pulls/18",
+    )
+    agent = Mock()
+    agent.run.side_effect = [
+        AgentResult("Submitted", "First", 4, 0.2),
+        AgentResult("Submitted", "Repaired", 2, 0.1),
+    ]
+    workspace = GitWorkspace.return_value
+    workspace.path = settings.workspace_root / "issue-7" / "repo"
+    workspace.branch = "ai/issue-7"
+    workspace.summary.return_value = ChangeSummary(("app/Fix.php",), 2, 0)
+    workspace.normalize_changed_whitespace.return_value = ()
+    workspace.has_symlink.return_value = False
+    workspace.has_path.return_value = False
+    workspace.run_trusted.side_effect = [
+        Mock(),
+        RuntimeError("PHP parse error on line 3"),
+        Mock(),
+    ]
+    workspace.commit.return_value = "abc123"
+
+    Worker(settings, gitea, agent).process(issue, labels())
+
+    assert agent.run.call_count == 2
+    assert "PHP parse error on line 3" in agent.run.call_args_list[1].args[3]
+    workspace.push.assert_called_once()
+    assert gitea.set_automation_state.call_args_list[-1].args[1] == "ai:ready"
+
+
 @patch("lai_automation.worker.GitWorkspace")
 def test_preflight_runs_setup_and_tests_without_model(
     GitWorkspace,